Estimated Income for First Timer

I'm thinking about closing my business and seeking a National Park job with a concessionaire during the 2019 spring to fall season. First, I need to do some financial planning. If anyone can give me a rough estimate of an hourly or weekly wage for an entry level position, I'd appreciate it. I'm thinking I might like working as a clerk in a store, front desk in a hotel, or a tour guide. I've tried to find salary information on job descriptions, but that information does not seem to be included. Thanks in advance.

Replies to This Discussion

A couple of basic guidelines. Most park concessionaires pay around the minimum wage for entry level. Small parks sometimes pay a little more than big parks. Non-park seasonal tends to pay a little more than in park concessionaires...with the exception of ski resorts. Tipped positions can pay somewhere to a little better to extremely better than non-tipped positions depending on the place.

Concessionaires rarely have their own tour guides. While there are many guides in the parks...most are coming in from the outside. I have worked at non-park seasonal places where they do have guides that include parks on their tour if that is an option. Some parks have concierge positions, but that's not really a guide.

The expenses side of the equation is something that needs to be considered. There are usually big housing and food savings. There can also be opportunities to spend a lot of extra money. Two people can be earning the same amount working similar hours, and one can leave with a nice chunk of cash, another can lose money on the season.

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